9.

 Eat Well

Just to catch you up to speed on my life, in the last month I have finished my fourth and final internship, stopped working at the restaurant, successfully completed my last year of college, and continued on the ever-lasting hunt for a full-time job. Now that the basics of my life are out of the way, time to get down to business.

In the past month I have been doing a lot of exploring within healthy eating, and figured out some things that work, and things that don't work (for me at least.) I have come to the conclusion that although meal prep is extremely helpful in terms of saving you time, you get really sick of eating pretty much the same meal all week.

Throughout the month I have found something that not only is delicious and healthy, but saves you so much time. Introducing "The Green Smoothie."I'm not replacing all of my meals with a smoothie that is just unreasonable and unhealthy. Instead, I have replaced my coffee in the morning with a green smoothie. It gives you energy, and keeps you full until lunchtime!

Most of my smoothie recipes come from this website: http://simplegreensmoothies.com/recipes  I usually use frozen fruits and veggies because they don't spoil as fast. Here are a few of my favorite personal creations.

Power-Energy Smoothie

1 Banana
2 Spoonfuls of almond (or peanut) butter
1/2 Cup of Almond Milk
Handful of Uncooked Oats
2 Ice Cubes

Pre-Workout Smoothie

1 Banana
1/4 Avocado
2 Tbs of Oats
Kale
2 Spoonfuls of Almond Butter
1/2 Cup of Almond Milk

Berry Delicious

Kale
Blueberries
Mango
2 Spoonfuls of Almond Butter
1/2 Cup of Almond Milk
Flaxseed

A Christy Leung Original

Mango
Bananas
Spinach
Pineapple
Almond Milk
Chia Seeds
Flax Seed Oil

Check out the Original Green Smoothie website, or feel free to use any of my creations! Drink Well!

xo Alexa

8.

Eat Well

Besides Fashion Week, this week is my favorite week in Boston. Ladies and Gentlemen, it is Restaurant Week. Restaurant week lets you enjoy a 3-course dinner for $38.13 in restaurants that the majority of us could never afford on a day-to-day basis. It really doesn't get much better than this. After browsing the Boston Restaurant Week website for a solid hour, I decided upon Clink., A restaurant in the historic Liberty Hotel (it used to be a jail, how cool.)







<<This is the Clink. Restaurant Week Menu











The restaurant is set up to still resemble a jail, complete with concrete walls, and jail bars. The food however, is not jail quality. For my meal I decided upon the Red Beet Salad, The Farro Pasta, and the Buttermilk Panna Cotta. The Red Beet Salad was fresh, flavorful, and beautiful. I was a little nervous about The Farro Pasta, because I never thought that Farro would be a good base for making pasta. It tasted like a very "wheatie" wheat pasta, it was topped with sage butter and pine nuts. It was creamy, and melted in my mouth. My meal would have not been complete without this dessert. For those of you not familiar, a Panna Cotta is an eggless custard. It was topped with Blood oranges, and served with mini chocolate shortbreads on the side. This dessert was unreal. Decadent, creamy, and the perfect ending to a delicious meal.

If you haven't already done so, please take advantage of Boston restaurant week, you can't oftentimes say that you can get a 3-course gourmet meal for only $38 dollars. So do it!
www.bostonrestaurantweek.com 


Besides my experience at Clink., I have tried a couple other great places in the Boston area.

Life Alive-Central Square 

<<Carrot Cake Smoothie










Fresh Squeezed Juices, Dairy-Free Smoothies, and even Wheat grass shots? If you are looking for a healthy, "earthy-crunchy" change to your morning routine, this is the place for you.


The Cottage-Chesnut Hill

<< West Coast Omelette










With a California meets Nantucket atmosphere, the Cottage is my new "go-to" brunch spot. Their scones, and fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, is out of this world. Don't worry, they offer lunch and dinner as well!

When living in such a city as Boston, there are so many different restaurants, cafes, and hidden gems, so go out there and find them! Remember, one of the most important parts of life is to always Eat Well.

xo Alexa

7.

Live Fashion

The snow has melted, the sun is shining, and spring is right around the corner (hopefully.) One of my favorite parts of spring is spring cleaning. Nothing is better than re-organizing your apartment after a long winter of hibernation. One of the most important (and crucial) spring cleaning projects you should have is cleaning out your closet from all of last seasons looks! Lucky for everyone, this spring season, the look is all about comfort. So pack away your snow boots and earmuffs and trade them in for some of this seasons must-have's.

1. Boyfriend Jeans

Keep it casual and pair them with a cardigan, or dress it up for a night out with a blazer and heals. These boyfriend jeans will keep you comfortable and stylish all day (or night) long. 

2. Milly for Sperry: Top Sliders

If you have been on twitter anytime in the last month you must have known that this line was coming. This is a collaboration from the gods, everyone's favorite line Milly, combining with the ultra-preppy-chic Sperry for a shoe line? I'm having a hard time believing its true. Shoes run from the usual Sperry Top-Slider look in fun colors and designs, to wedges to even heels. No matter which pair you choose, your spring closet will not be complete without a pair. 

3. Over-sized White Button-Down Shirts

This is the perfect excuse to steal your boyfriends clothes. Over-sized white shirts are in totally in this season. Check out one of my favorite fashion icons, Olivia Palermo, pairing an over-sized button down with a chunky necklace for a "can't miss" look. A+ Olivia! 

4. Patterns, Patterns, Patterns.

Mix them, match them, on top or on bottom, patterns are an essential this spring. Above is a picture from the J-Crew spring 2013 fashion show. J-Crew this spring will be a hot spot for this look, they have tops and bottoms in every color pattern and design. 

In my opinion I think the overlying theme for 2013 spring fashion is "preppy-chic." Don't worry you don't have to stock your closet with multi-colored Ralph Lauren polos, stick to these four staples, and you will be completely fabulous this spring.

xo Alexa

6.

Live Fashion

Although I have no immediate plans of dropping out of college and moving to Hollywood, I am convinced that one day I will walk the red carpet. A girl can dream right? For now I will just settle for watching the awards in my sweatpants, nestled into my bed. 

Last night was all about the fashion. (Okay, maybe a little bit about this years films too but..) Hollywood's A list pulled out all of the stops this year, from HUGE designer gowns (literally, humungous) to dresses covered in glitter and shine. Here are my favorite (and not so favorite) looks from The Oscars 2013.

Favorite
Kerry Washington




















Kerry Washington combined two of my favorite trends, Glitter, and Coral. This Miu Miu gown was a bold choice, compared to the pale color pallet mostly everyone else seemed to be following. Way to be different Kerry!

Favorite
Jessica Chastain




















Although I was not a fan of all of the nude/pale colors this year, Jessica knocked it out of the park with this one. The red in her hair, and the red lips created a perfect color pop. The Armani Prive dress perfectly complemented her figure. She truly looked like a leading lady in this number. 

Favorite
Stacy Keibler

George Clooney's much younger babe, stole the show in this shimmery number. Did she, dare I say it, outshine Mr. Clooney? That is up for debate, but Stacy surely was a crowd favorite in her Naeem Khan dress. I mean come on, check out the back on that thing! 

Not so Favorite
Anne Hathaway


















Don't get me wrong I am a huge Anne fan, and who knew she could sing! But, honestly, this dress looks like a terrible JCPenney prom dress. The color was all wrong for her pale skin, and the high cut top with the necklace, no, no, no. I also wish that this "Best Supporting Actress" was a little more supported if you know what I mean... I am disappointed Prada. 

If spring fashion is going to look anything like the Oscars you should be expecting a lot of glitter, a lot of glam, and hopefully, not a lot of nipples (Anne Hathaway.) But remember you don't have to be walking down a red carpet to be looking like an A-list celebrity! You can incorporate any of these style trends in your everyday wardrobe! Bored with your going out clothes? Add a little sparkle! Tired of wearing all black to the office? Spice it up with a splash of coral! Whatever you do, remember, you are fabulous no matter what. 

xo Alexa

5.

Eat Well

I have been on my "eat clean" lifestyle for the past three days. So far so good! I find myself with increased energy and stamina, and I just feel great all around. I have been doing a lot of research on different "eat clean" recipes. I find that if I were to eat the same couple of things day after day I would get bored, and different cravings would ensue.

During my 4 o'clock class today the girl next to me was eating this delicious looking, and insanely greasy pizza. The smell or garlic and cheese immediately filled my mouth, and I need pizza right there, right then. I decided if I was going to give in to a craving I was going to do it the "clean" way. I stumbled across a way that you can make pizza crust out of broccoli or cauliflower, so I decided to give it a try! Here is my version of The Complete Veggie Pizza.

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 Fresh Broccoli Head
1 egg
Parmesan Cheese
Goat Cheese
Oregano
Garlic Salt
Pepper

Toppings:
Peppers
Avocado
Ground Turkey
Kale
Garlic
Tomato Sauce
Goat Cheese

1. Crust: Grate or shred broccoli into very very very small pieces. Don't grate the stalks, or include those, just the dark "leafy" parts of the broccoli.

2. Mix in 1 egg, parmesan cheese, goat cheese, oregano, garlic salt and pepper.

3. Mix it all together so everything is evenly distributed throughout the "dough."

4. Lightly grease a cookie sheet with a tiny bit of olive oil so the dough doesn't stick. Put broccoli mixture on the cookie sheet in about a 7" circle.

5. Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes at 450

6. Take out pizza, add toppings, and bake again until cheese is melted and it "looks done"

You can obviously replace the type of cheeses, the toppings, etc and make it your own! The pizza was delicious, crispy, filling, and of course clean! Happy eating everyone!

xo Alexa

4.

Eat Well

After my weekend away I knew I needed to get my butt in gear. Summer is just around the corner, and my body is still in hibernation mode. I decided to start "eating clean." Eating clean to summarize, is to eat everything that is natural, things with no preservatives, added sugars etc. The most important part is to increase the veggies and protein and decrease the carbohydrates and sugars. To encourage the new lifestyle I spent an hour today making all of my lunches for the week. (Note how I said an hour, yes, all of this only took an hour.) Here are some ideas for Eating Clean.

Grocery List:

• Greek Yogurt
• Eggs
• Apples
• Avocados
• Kiwis
• Sweet Potatoes
• Goat Cheese
• Almond Butter
• Broccoli
• Lean Ground Turkey
• Spinach
• Almonds
• Hummus
• Peppers
• Almond Milk
• Kale
• Green Beans
• Goat Cheese 
• Fruit Medley: Blackberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Grapes

Meal 1:

Fresh Spinach topped with steamed green beans, fresh broccoli sliced red peppers, whole almonds, cottage cheese. The meat mixture on the right side is lean ground turkey, mashed avocados, and salsa.

Meal 2: 

Lean Ground Turkey topped with Sirracha. Steamed green beans and broccoli. Egg Whites, Boiled Sweet Potato. 

Meal 3: 

Egg Whites: Filled with Broccoli and Avocado Mixture, some lean ground turkey and topped with Sirracha. Sliced Red Peppers, Garlic Hummus, Boiled Sweet Potatoes, and Almonds. 

The most important part of "eating clean" however is incorporating exercise, and lots of water into your diet. The foods above are just examples of some of the many different things you can eat while "eating clean."For breakfast I will be eating things such as greek yogurt, lots of fruit, or oatmeal, while for dinner things such as Chili made with lean ground turkey. 

I hope you guys see how easy eating healthy is! Eating clean will make you feel and look great. Lets do this journey together!

xo Alexa

3.

Travel Often

Although living in the city is glamorous and convenient, once in a while you need to get away from it all. This past weekend my boyfriend planned a trip up to Burlington, Vermont for our anniversary. I didn't realize until today when I came back, how much I needed the time to refresh, and relax.

Day 1, Travel Day: Note to self, never leave Boston during rush hour on a holiday weekend, it will take you four hours to get out of the city.

After the nearly 8 hour journey up to Vermont, we arrived at our resort, The Essex: The Vermont Culinary Resort. It was quaint, peaceful, and the quintessential New England getaway. Our resort included two restaurants, and a spa. If you are ever traveling up to Vermont, I highly recommend this resort, not only was it completely amazing, but also reasonably priced.

Day 2, Tourist Day: We started off the day with breakfast at our resort. I chose the breakfast buffet where I could pick and choose what I wanted. I ended up getting a goat cheese and spinach egg white omelette, with a homemade cranberry scone on the side. Delish.

Next stop was Lake Champlain, home of the Lake Champlain sea monster, although he didn't come out to say hello, I swear I saw some whale sized movement in the water.

Located right on Lake Champlain is the Church Street Marketplace. Tons of shops, restaurants, cafes, it's a fun place to bop around.

Next we went to Magic Hat Brewery. We went on a free tour, and at the end you get four samples of any beers that you would like! The tour was great, and the beer was delicious. Great for a first date, or fun day time activity.

After leaving the brewery we stumbled upon Shelburne Farm. A beautiful New England farm where we got to go on a horse sleigh ride, and sample cheese, jelly's and mustards made right at the farm. 

After the farm, my boyfriend said there was a surprise waiting for me back at the hotel. The surprise was an hour long massage at The Essex Spa. The spa has services from massages, to facials, to green tea seaweed wraps (and no you can't eat it.) The massage was incredible, and the perfect ending was sitting in the outdoor hot tub watching the sunset. When I came back from the massage another surprise was waiting in the room for me, a bouquet of flowers, chocolate covered strawberries, and my favorite wine. Gag-worthy I know, but completely adorable, I had to throw it in!

Eat Well

After my massage we got ready for dinner, we had reservations at Amuse, the restaurant at our resort. Since it's "the Vermont culinary resort" we knew the meal was going to be incredible. After a couple of free-bee appetizers, my entree consisted of a rib eye over a bronzed potato topped with whipped blue cheese. It was incredible, it was one of the juiciest most well prepared steaks I have ever had. 

Day 3: Ice Cream, Ice Cream, Ice Cream

Started off the morning with breakfast in bed (yogurt topped with fresh fruit and granola, yum!) Checked out of the hotel and made our way to the Ben and Jerry's Factory. Although I am not a huge ice cream person, the tour and ice cream tasting was fun and informative! We tried a flavor that the Ben and Jerry's team is still working on so it is not a real flavor yet, it was called Hot Chocolate. It tasted just like a cup of hot chocolate, except cold and in the formation of ice cream. After the tour, I had to have a small scoop of one of the Greek Yogurt flavors. If you are a Greek Yogurt fan, and want to settle your sweet tooth without all of the calories of ice cream,  the new Ben and Jerry's Greek Yogurt line is your answer. I had a flavor that will be on the market soon called Liz Lemon (named after Tina Fey's character on 30 rock) It was lemon greek yogurt swirled with lavender, and a couple other ingredients I can't seem to remember. I am counting down the days until I can get it at the grocery store.

The weekend away was incredible. It really shows how important it is to Travel Often.

xo Alexa